Poorer whites are often assumed to hold more negative opinions of other racial groups than wealthier whites, but the latest research from YouGov, shows that class may not play an important role in white Americans’ racial attitudes.
Respondents in a recent YouGov survey were asked whether they think that various groups of people give more to society than they take, or whether they take more than they give. Working class people come out on top in the eyes of most Americans if you look at society as ‘givers’ and ‘takers’. 72% of Americans say that working class people give more than they take, while only 10% say that they take more than they give. Middle class people (65%) and women (59%) are the only other groups which most people describe as ‘givers’. Upper class Americans (55%) are the most likely to be described as ‘takers’.
Apart from the upper class, only two groups tend to be seen as ‘takers’ rather than ‘givers’: black Americans and Hispanic Americans. 45% of the country views black Americans as ‘takers’, while only 20% see them as ‘givers’. 35% say that Hispanics are takers and 31% say that they are givers.
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